So you want to travel to Japan and are afraid of the cultural differences and are wondering, “do Japanese people like Americans?” One of the main reasons why Americans ask this question is because they know that as an American, they can be loud, obnoxious, really outgoing, very affectionate and like to huge. They are also aware that Japanese people tend to be smaller, are not used to hugging others, are more quiet and polite.
American people tend to be more expressive while Japanese people tend to be more reserve. American people like to talk a lot while Japanese people are more quiet and like to listen to others. Americans are more extroverted and Japanese people are more introverted. They are polar opposites and I believe, as an American myself, that is the reason why we are so interested in each other.
Our long history together has developed our relationship and despite of our differences we still love and respect each other.
We all know that anyone can come to America and start a life. However, it is not the same in Japan. For hundreds of years, the Japanese have always been isolationist. Japan’s isolation was fully apply in the 1600s with Tokugawa Lemitsu. Christianity was gaining a lot of power in Japan and so the current emperor decided to prevent Japanese from traveling to other countries. The Tokugawa emperor would sentence anyone to death if they had resided in another country.
So as you can see it is in Japan’s nature to be isolate and be homogenous as oppose to America which has had an influx of immigrants from all over the world since the 1800s. Americans love immigrants but Japan does not.
Japan has a population of 120 million people (and reducing people of their low birthrate). 2% of the population are foreigners and most of those foreigners are actually other Asian people that legally live in Japan. So because Japan does not allow in just anyone, many people still ask, “Do Japanese people like Americans.”
Lets find out.
America’s History With Japan
One of the most devastating things that America had done to Japan was dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. America would then send their aid to Japan and help Hiroshima recover. You also have to remember that it was Japan who attacked America in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941. Back then the Japanese were attacking everyone.
In 1853 American Commodore Matthew Perry was deemed responsible for re-opening Japan to foreign trade. Realized the “re-open” part of that sentences. Matthew Perry was not the first to open trade with Japan but after Japan’s 200 years of isolation due to the Tokugawa emperor.
Also keep in mind that Commodore Matthew Perry was American. So if it wasn’t for American Japan would have not re-open their country for trade again.
Of course the history with America and Japan is much deeper than that. The above are some major points that separate Japan and America as well as bringing them closer. Over the years we have come to forgive each other and America has many military bases in Japan.
Are Japanese People Xenophobic
Going back to the Tokugawa era, the Japanese have been in isolation for a long time. If it wasn’t for the Tokugawa dynasty, Japan would have experience a large growth of Christians and would probably be a primarily Christian country instead of Shinto and Buddhism.
Even way before the 1600s, Japan was very isolated. Only China and Korea were the main countries that they interacted with. Besides the attack of the Mongols in the 1400s in the island of Tsushima, Japan did not deal with other countries.
Is not that the Japanese are Xenophobic, is just that many of them are not used to dealing with foreigners like western people are. Many western countries like America, England, France, Germany, they deal with people from all over the world mainly because of their history. However, Japan was not like that. Unless you live in the main tourist areas like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto then you are not going to run into Japanese people that know English.
If you go outside of the major cities and tourist area then yeah, you will find Japanese people that are Xenophobic but for the most part, Japanese people are very friendly towards foreigners (as long as you behave).
Remember, Japan is a homogenous nation and Japanese people do come first. Either you speak Japanese or they speak English. If there is a communication issue then they won’t serve you.
What do Japanese people think of Americans?
Like many countries, Japanese people are highly influenced by America. American movies and TV shows as well as the American music industry. Many of them are inspired by Americans and want to be like America. However, Japan is very conservative in its value and culture.
Japanese people do like Americans however they are turned off by the energetic behavior of some Americans. Some Americans can be loud party animals. They might even be afraid of some Americans because Americans are bigger. Americans are also more aggressive and less likely to accept social norms. Americans speak their mind without apology and many Japanese people are not used to that.
At the same time despite the cultural difference, many Japanese like how brave and courageous Americans are. This is the reason why many Japanese women tend to go for American men. They like the confidence and risk taking attitude.
Japanese people are attract to those who are very intelligent. If you are smart and social they will like you but most importantly, if you speak the Japanese language and learn their customs they will be very impress by that.
You have to understand that millions of Japanese still do not speak English like other Asian countries. In the Philippines, a large number of their population speak English. Is not the same in Japan. If you can overcome the cultural barriers, they will love.
How Japanese People Treat Americans
When I went to Japan in May of 2021, I had a great experience with Japanese people. I was treated well, especially by the women. I did notice that the kids seemed intimidated by me but I don’t blame them. Again, some people are not used to dealing with foreigners.
Some Japanese people will not allow you to go into certain places and Americans might take that personally. However, the reason behind that is that if you don’t speak Japanese, then they can’t serve you. So don’t feel bad if a bar does not let Americans in.
Japanese people have a positive image of Americans. They believe that Americans are these super extroverted people and they like that. Americans are highly respected in Japan even by Japanese that don’t speak English.
The sum it up, if you don’t do anything crazy in Japan then they will like you. If you learn the culture and treat people with respect then they will treat you with respect. You know, the universal rule. Also, because you are a gaijin, a foreigner, many times if you did something wrong you will get what is called, the gaijin card, which means you get a free pass (as long as you dont abuse the gaijin card).
A small detail about staying in Japan. It is true that Japanese people do not want foreigners to stay for very long. Unless you learn the language fluently then they won’t want you there because they see you as too difficult to communicate with. Again, a language problem.
Over all. The answer is YES, Japanese people do like Americans.
